COMMUNIQUE OF INAUGURAL CONFERENCE HELD AT REIZ CONTINENTAL
HOTEL, ABUJA, SEPTEMBER 3 – 4, 2014.
The Inaugural conference of the Association of Communication Scholars
& Professionals of Nigeria [ACSPN] was held between September 3rd and 4th, 2014
at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria, on the theme “Communication,
Diversity and Multiculturalism in Nigeria: Challenges in the 21st Century”.
The formal opening of the conference was chaired by the
Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria [FRCN], Dr. Ladan
Salihu and kicked off with a keynote address on “Bridging the Gap between Town
and Gown” presented by His Excellency, the former Governor of Abia State, Dr.
Orji Uzor Kalu, represented by the Managing Director of New Telegraph Newspaper,
Mr. Eric Osagie.
The Regional Director, United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Prof (Mrs.) Hassana Alidou delivered an address
expressing UNESCO’s willingness
and readiness to partner with ACSPN for communication-based solutions to
emerging challenges.
The conference was attended by prominent communication scholars and
professionals based in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, as well as members of the
civil societies and featured papers and presentations on various issues
connected with the challenges of Nigerian diversity and multiculturalism and
how communication and the media play different roles in worsening or resolving
the challenges.
The conference made the following observations:
1. ACSPN is making its way into the communication and media environment
in Nigeria when the country needs ethical and committed communication scholars
and professionals that will be able to re-engineer peaceful co-existence
amongst Nigerians in their diversity.
2. ACSPN has the potential of bringing communication scholars and professionals
together, thereby bridging the gap between the town and gown for the purpose of
driving the country to the desired goal of overall development.
3. The birth of ACSPN has a consequence that is aimed at
re-fashioning communication training and media practices in Nigeria.
4. There is a need for modalities for harmonizing communication scholarship
and practice by encouraging exchange through sabbatical interchange between
scholars and professionals.
5. There is a need for a synergized robust research structure to be
cosponsored by the government and the private sector.
6. Communication has the potential of providing antidote for eradicating
fear, hatred and mistrust amongst Nigerians.
7. Diversity and multiculturalism have become challenges and
retarding factors to Nigeria’s developmental goals and the mass media have potential
power in exploring the diversity and multiculturalism to the advantage of the
growth of the nation.
8. UNESCO is ready to partner with ACSPN. The Organisation is also working
on promoting the protection of journalists and freedom of expression as
multiculturalism and diversity cannot be promoted without the freedom of
information and the press.
9. Poor mediation and handling of diversity and pluralism has been a media
challenge in Nigeria and the media have not been able to change this attitude
through the way they report conflict. In other words, Nigerian media have
partly contributed to the poor image and handling of our diversity.
10. Conflict is a manifestation of fear from inability of Nigerians
to accommodate their differences.
11. Nigerian media have been contributing to the power asymmetries
through the biases in their representation or report marginalized group or
minorities such as women.
12. Multiculturalism assists and enhances cooperation and unity and
the media can provide a platform for this.
13. Despite the role of the media, the media is open to manipulations
that are now being reinforced by technological developments.
14. The news, according to the presenter, accords prominence to the
voices of the powerful who are the dominant sources.
The conference came up with the following recommendations:
1. ACSPN should partner with the NUC, NBTE and other regulatory authorities
in re-designing the media and communication curriculum.
2. ACSPN should advocate for an improved welfare for media scholars and
professionals in the country.
3. ACSPN should partner with the NUC, NBTE and other regulatory authorities
to institute a 6-month mandatory industrial training for media and
communication students in the country.
4. Conflict reporting should be included in the media and communication
curriculum in the country.
5. Journalists should report conflict with a sense of utmost responsibility.
6. The use of inflammatory, misleading and sensational headlines by
the media to attract sales should be discouraged.
7. Proper and responsible journalism should be encouraged among media
professionals, particularly journalists, to reduce the psychology of fear
intended by terrorist groups.
8. Young female communication scholars and professionals are encouraged
to be active members of ACSPN as a way of improving their competencies and
impacts in the industry.
9. ACSPN and other communication institutions and associations in public
relations, marketing communications, broadcasting, film production, should
promote professionalism in the practice.
10. There is need to review the culture and narrative that the media is
portraying and entrenching as normal in society and reverse the inconsistencies
in media content.
11. Communication scholars and professionals in Nigeria need to begin
to frame children and youth issues as they are a weak/vulnerable group that
must be given special attention.
12. Nigeria media need to get acquainted with and adopt the conflict
sensitive approach in reporting elections in Nigeria.
13. The media should develop capacity as mediators in political conflict
by paying careful attention especially to their gate-keeping, agenda setting
and status conferral roles in political reporting process.
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